United States Tennis Association to honor Althea Gibson with a statue

One question sat on the mind of 50 tennis fans in Wilmington, North Carolina, so much so that each of those people penned letters to turn that question on Katri…

Althea Gibson was the first black athlete to compete in international tennis – and now she’s being recognized with a statue.

Billie Jean King, tennis phenom and subject of recent movie Battle of the Sexes, had been pushing for her recognition for some time. “I said, ‘She’s our Jackie Robinson of tennis and she needs to be appreciated for it, and she’s not.’ … I wanted something there that was permanent. I didn’t want just a one-day highlight.”

“I stood on her shoulders,” King said. “We always stand on the shoulders before us. … I’m really excited. We’re going to get this done.”